Questions & Answers about Veðrið er verst í dag.
Where does the word verst come from?
Verst means "worst" and is an irregular superlative. The basic adjective for "bad" is usually slæmt (neuter). Just like in English (bad, worse, worst), Icelandic completely changes the root word for this concept: slæmt (bad), verra (worse), verst (worst).
Why is it verst and not another form like verstur?
Superlatives must agree with the gender of the noun they describe. Because veður (weather) is a neuter noun, the superlative adjective must also be in the neuter form, which is verst. If you were talking about a masculine noun, you would use verstur.
Since veðrið means "the weather," shouldn't the adjective have a weak ending like versta?
That is a great question! In Icelandic, when an adjective comes directly after the verb "to be" (as a predicate), it usually stays in the strong form, even if the subject has the definite article attached. If you were saying "the worst weather" as a single combined phrase, it would be versta veðrið, but here it is veðrið er verst.
What is the literal translation of í dag?